The Australian government has established dietary guidelines for adults, children/adolescents and for older people. These guidelines have been established to promote healthy eating.
The dietary guidelines for adults are:
- Enjoy a wide variety of nutritious foods
- Eat plenty of vegetables, legumes and fruit
- Eat plenty of cereals (including breads, rice, pasta and noodles), preferably wholegrain
- Include lean meat, fish, poultry and/or alternatives
- Include milks, yoghurts, cheeses and/or alternatives
- Drink plenty of water
- Limit saturated fat and moderate total fat intake
- Choose foods low in salt
- Limit your alcohol intake if you choose to drink
- Consume only moderate amounts of sugars and foods containing added sugars
- Prevent weight gain: be physically active and eat according to your needs
- Care for your food: prepare and store it safely
- Encourage and support breastfeeding
For further details on these dietary guidelines, visit the NHMRC website (National Health and Medical Research Council).
Source: NHMRC 2003, "Dietary Guidelines for Australian Adults", Commonwealth of Australia.